How to Start a Conversation.
Time after time in my classes I hear the same thing: "I don't know how to talk to foreigners, I never know what to say." Quite simple, just talk about the same things you talk about with your Chinese friends and colleagues. I have travelled to many countries in all parts of the world, and I can tell you people everywhere make the same small talk. There is no need to try to make long sentences using long words, as we see in so many textbooks here in China, just follow the acronym K.I.S.S - Keep It Short and Simple. Once you have begun the conversation in this way you will find things quickly flow more fluently.
Some excellent conversation topics are listed below:
Weather – In any culture, talking about the weather is a great way to pass the time, to get to know someone, and to make polite conversation. Even though talking about the weather has become synonymous with making idle chit chat, important information can be shared between two people who are seemingly discussing nothing but the weather. Students can practice weather related vocabulary and also work on framing questions about a future time, as in, "Is it supposed to rain tomorrow?"
Sports – In societies where sports are an important part of life, conversing about them is an important bonding ritual. Based on the sport that the students are interested in, the vocabulary they will need to learn will vary accordingly. Another benefit of communicating about sports is that students get the opportunity to practice using action verbs like kick, throw, tackle, slide, run, and jump.
Love and Relationships – If the universal language is love, it certainly should make a great conversation topic for ESL students. Vocabulary lessons can focus on the different terminology for defining romantic relationships. Students can talk about their girlfriends or boyfriends, their first date, their worst date, etc.
Politics – While it is considered rude to talk about politics in some cultures, understanding the basics about the political process is an important part of becoming acculturated. Native speakers in most areas of the world spend at least some of their social time discussing politics. Because discussing politics can be a sensitive task, conversing about this topic can help students learn to be polite and to disagree in a responsible, constructive manner.
Food – Eating is important no matter where you are in the world, so food is universally used as a daily conversation topic. The possibilities for how you situate ESL conversation topics relating to food are virtually infinite. Students could practice ordering food in a restaurant or shopping for food at a market. They could also use the terminology of the kitchen to talk about cooking and preparing food. They could also talk about particular foods from particular parts of the world, which is a fun way to work a geography lesson in as well.
Animals – Most people have some level of interest in animals. ESL students could talk about animals in a variety of ways. They could talk about keeping different kinds of pets or about the many other ways in which humans rely on animals to exist.
You can also tell an interesting or funny story about something that happened to you or a friend
Good Conversation Starters & Questions to Keep it Going.
How was your day?
What is the best job you ever had?
What time do you normally wake up?
What time do you normally go to bed?
Have you ever been in a car accident or seen one?
What is your aim for this year?
Have you ever won a prize in a contest?
Did you have an exciting weekend?
What do you spend most of your money on?
What's the best compliment you've ever received?
What's the worst advice you've ever taken?
What talent do you wish you'd been born with?
What's a subject you wish you knew more about?
What did people tease you about growing up?
Who in your family are you most like?
What's the most fun you've had in the last year?
Do you have a recurring dream? What happens in it?
What's the bravest thing you've ever done?
What's the biggest personal change you've ever made?
Where did you go to school?
Are you the same person you were as a child, or much different?
Talk about a time when you got into trouble at school.
What is your saddest memory?
Have you ever had a crush on a teacher?
Have you ever had a crush on a friend's parent?
Is there a secret you've never told anyone?
Do you like yourself?
Is there anything in your past that you'd like to try again?
If you had to eat 1 thing for the rest of your life, what would you eat?
Are you an emotional person?
What's something that can always make you feel better?
What's on your schedule for tomorrow?
What do you think of love?
Things you spend a lot of money on?
What is the weirdest thing about you?
Do you think that you’re a good person?
Who do you not get along with?
Tell me about the last movie you watched.
What are your plans for the weekend?
What do you notice first about a guy/girl?
Do you like where you live?
If you won $10 million dollars what would you do with it?
What's your favorite holiday?
What is your favorite sport to watch? to play?
About how many friends from high school do you still talk to?
What are you biggest peeves?
Are you artistic and creative?
What kind of mood are you in right now?
What time is it?
If you could have any job, what would it be?
Were you popular in high school?
What's one thing you'd like to do but haven't done yet?
Where do you picture yourself in five years?
If you could bring back one famous person from the dead - who & why?
What five things will you always find on you?
Would you live in a different country?
What do you love most about your family? Why?
Using no more than 10 nouns, and ONLY nouns, describe yourself.
If you could have plastic surgery right now and change anything about yourself, what would you change?
If you could do anything what would it be?
The ability to start a conversation with those you meet is an important aspect of all your relationships. Good conversation starter skills promote an image of self-confidence and intelligence. This is not to say that those people who find it hard to strike up a conversation are less intelligent.
